G500 TXi Upgrade

[donkaye]

My upgrade should be completed tomorrow, and flighted tested in the afternoon.  Juuuust in time for Oshkosh.  Final picture when completed.  Old and new shown.  SVT when the airplane can be pulled out tomorrow for GPS position that is needed for the SVT.

 

[carusoam]

Good luck with the first flight, Don!

That looks great.

Best regards,

-a-

[Danb]

Sweet!

[StevenL757]

Awesome Don.  One of the more “affordable” TXi upgrades I’m guessing - meaning, you were able to leave your AHRS + ADC computers, and your engine monitor.

You beat me to it.  My plans are to get the GFC600 done when the Ovation is added to the list of approved aircraft, and do the TXi at the same time.  So probably a year or more away.

Again, congrats and please do post some additional shots when you get her in the air once ready.

Steve

[donkaye]

3 hours ago, StevenL757 said:

Awesome Don.  One of the more “affordable” TXi upgrades I’m guessing - meaning, you were able to leave your AHRS + ADC computers, and your engine monitor.

You beat me to it.  My plans are to get the GFC600 done when the Ovation is added to the list of approved aircraft, and do the TXi at the same time.  So probably a year or more away.

Again, congrats and please do post some additional shots when you get her in the air once ready.

Steve

It was supposed to take 3 days.  It took 2 weeks, as Garmin provided no wiring diagrams specifically for the upgrade, so several days were taken up doing the interface wiring diagram before work could be started.  Regarding the engine monitor, the MVP-50 provides so much more information that I regularly use than the EIS at present, that that was never a consideration for this upgrade.

Regarding the GFC 600, which I would have had installed at the same time, Garmin last year stated that they weren't planning on certifying it for the Bravo, and incredibly, looking at their future plans for it on their website, don't even have it on their radar for any Mooneys in their certification plans for the next year.  I think you'll be waiting a long time for your TXi upgrade if you're waiting for the GFC 600.  I certainly don't understand their philosophy on this, since Garmin even owns an Ovation.

[KSMooniac]

Don, would you be happy with the GFC500 if it interfaced with the TXi?

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[201Mooniac]

53 minutes ago, KSMooniac said:

Don, would you be happy with the GFC500 if it interfaced with the TXi?

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
 

Not sure about Don but I would be thrilled if Garmin would create the interface between my soon to come G500 TXi and the GFC-500.

[StevenL757]

1 hour ago, donkaye said:

It was supposed to take 3 days.  It took 2 weeks, as Garmin provided no wiring diagrams specifically for the upgrade, so several days were taken up doing the interface wiring diagram before work could be started.  Regarding the engine monitor, the MVP-50 provides so much more information that I regularly use than the EIS at present, that that was never a consideration for this upgrade.

Regarding the GFC 600, which I would have had installed at the same time, Garmin last year stated that they weren't planning on certifying it for the Bravo, and incredibly, looking at their future plans for it on their website, don't even have it on their radar for any Mooneys in their certification plans for the next year.  I think you'll be waiting a long time for your TXi upgrade if you're waiting for the GFC 600.  I certainly don't understand their philosophy on this, since Garmin even owns an Ovation.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.  I looked at the engine monitoring options also, and determined I'll keep my EDM Primary.  I'm still pushing hard for the Ovation to be added to the list and hopefully bumped up in the conga line.

See you next week...looking forward to meeting you and seeing your ship in person.

Steve

[donkaye]

I got the plane back yesterday.  A few setup items needed to be corrected and were taken care of in short order.  Then we went flying.  Surprisingly the AP works better than before, luckily, because there are no easy adjustments for heading datum and course datum like on the old G500.  One problem still exists that hopefully will be taken care of on Monday when Peter can talk to Garmin.  The GTS 800 keeps going to Standby and will neither go active or stay active if activated.

So Peter can work that problem while Mark works a more important one that could prevent me from taking the plane to Oshkosh.  The right inner gear door operation keeps breaking a cotter pin (this is the 4th time in about as many months) that pops it open.  With this issue the gear should not be raised.  Can you imagine having it breaking enroute and having to fly across the country with the gear down?  The Bravo is a Cessna 172 with the gear down, 117 knots at 75% power.  I'm still not sure why they haven't been able to fix the problem.

Meanwhile back to the G500 TXi.  Assuming the gear door problem can be fixed on Monday, more time needs to be spent in the air with this unit.  Although I've read the manual multiple times, thoroughly explored and played with the simulator, and know how to do everything that the unit is capable of doing, doing it effortlessly is another matter.  I now agree that it would be easier to have the PFD on the right, but I want it in front me.  Reaching over with the right hand to move the left knob is a bit of a pain, more so than with the old G500, but to me it is more important having the PFD front and center and just accepting the knob issue.  I think with the map in HSI I will be spending much of the time in full screen mode, so the right hand knob will mitigate that problem.  Display clarity is remarkable.  Setup of map, weather, stormscope, traffic, basically everything, is MUCH easier than with the old G500.  Data entry by knob is also a lot easier than by touchscreen.  Also, in split screen mode having a much larger PFD is very nice, and in full screen mode is like having a display the size of the G1000.  With this screen size, maybe Garmin could consider including Pathways in a future update, a feature they chose not to implement in the old G500.  Having TAS and GS side by side is also another improvement over the original G500.  Charts are sharp and stay sharp when zoomed in unlike the GTN 750 where they become blocky and unusable on zoom.  One negative of the TXi is that the tapes are considerably smaller than those of the original G500, but their clarity mitigates that somewhat.

Only time will tell if I like this unit better than the original.

[aviatoreb]

On 7/13/2018 at 10:54 AM, donkaye said:

Regarding the GFC 600, which I would have had installed at the same time, Garmin last year stated that they weren't planning on certifying it for the Bravo, and incredibly, looking at their future plans for it on their website, don't even have it on their radar for any Mooneys in their certification plans for the next year.  I think you'll be waiting a long time for your TXi upgrade if you're waiting for the GFC 600.  I certainly don't understand their philosophy on this, since Garmin even owns an Ovation.

I couldn't find it - where do you see a website link that describes the Garmin future plans for their new autopilots?

[MIm20c]

40 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

I couldn't find it - where do you see a website link that describes the Garmin future plans for their new autopilots?

This is from the Garmin site.

[KSMooniac]

Not sure about Don but I would be thrilled if Garmin would create the interface between my soon to come G500 TXi and the GFC-500.

Boom! Done.@donkaye, time to get in line for the GFC500 and finish making the ultimate Bravo.

http://newsroom.garmin.com/press-release/featured-releases/garmin-provides-key-updates-txi-flight-displays-gtn-navigators-gfc%C2%A0a

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[MIm20c]

7 minutes ago, KSMooniac said:

Boom! Done.@donkaye, time to get in line for the GFC500 and finish making the ultimate Bravo.

http://newsroom.garmin.com/press-release/featured-releases/garmin-provides-key-updates-txi-flight-displays-gtn-navigators-gfc%C2%A0a

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
 

G5 for backup!!!  

[201Mooniac]

The G5 for backup and the GFC-500 with the TXi was just what I was hoping for.  Time to change my TXi standby instrument from ESI-500 to G5 for my September install.

[smccray]

56 minutes ago, KSMooniac said:

Boom! Done.@donkaye, time to get in line for the GFC500 and finish making the ultimate Bravo.

http://newsroom.garmin.com/press-release/featured-releases/garmin-provides-key-updates-txi-flight-displays-gtn-navigators-gfc%C2%A0a

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk


only one minor issue:

From the news release: "Aircraft owners can soon pair the economical GFC 500 autopilot with the G500 TXi or G500 flight displays, offering a fully-redundant, all-glass cockpit when paired with the G5. "

 

[KSMooniac]

I'm not sure it is a big issue...the GFC500 STC likely still requires the G5 for AHRS input, but now can interface/control via TXi. In Don's (and others) case that already have an L3 or Mid Continent backup, they can remove and sell that backup to replace with a G5, or just add a G5 for triple redundancy. The cost of the GFC500 + G5 is half of the GFC600 or STEC3100 so it seems like a no brainer to me.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[jackn]

A lot of nice features added to the GTX650/750 as well. 

[CraigV]

A Garmin representative at Air Venture told me they expect to have the GFC 500 certified for Mooney aircraft by the end of 2018. He and a colleague weren’t sure in what order, but were  guessing first long bodies, then medium bodies, then short bodies, in that order. They didn’t appear to really know.

I emailed a very active avionics company in SE Texas and they stated their information was the GFC 500 would be ready to install in Mooney aircraft after the first of the year (early 2019). I sure hope all of this information is correct.

[LANCECASPER]

36 minutes ago, CraigV said:

A Garmin representative at Air Venture told me they expect to have the GFC 500 certified for Mooney aircraft by the end of 2018. He and a colleague weren’t sure in what order, but were  guessing first long bodies, then medium bodies, then short bodies, in that order. They didn’t appear to really know.

I emailed a very active avionics company in SE Texas and they stated their information was the GFC 500 would be ready to install in Mooney aircraft after the first of the year (early 2019). I sure hope all of this information is correct.

They are using a Mooneyspacer's M20M for the GFC500 certification.

 

[Steve Skinner]

Hi all and Don Kaye.

Ive discussed my options on Facebook Mooney site but should move the discussion here.

i have the standard Bravo set up with Efis 40 Kap 150 autopilot, GTN 750

garmin absb in/out remote EDM 700 wx1000 stormscope 

original audio panel and com 2

efis 40 went carput 

ive been offered a set up of 2 evolution 1000 (1 backup) and evolution 500 which would allow me to get rid of steam 6 pack and vac back up (which just cost me $1000 to repair) 

all this for somewhere around $20k usd installed($10000 discount offered due to purchased instruments not wanted)

looks very cluttered and I think you’d be very busy flying with it ???

Im awaiting the quote for the G500 xti large screen and a G5 backup. Using Eis in spilt screen mode on G500 rather than a separate screen (can’t justify the cost I don’t think.)

So I can still get rid of all the steam gauges and engine monitor. Get a new remote stormscope Wx500

ive has some valuable input from the guys on the Facebook site but don’t feel comfortable talking about price etc on that forum.

Ill update the group when I get the Garmin price and hopefully get some feed back in the mean time about the Aspens.

 

 

[StevenL757]

Why wouldn't you put the ESI-500 in as a backup instead of a G5?

[donkaye]

15 minutes ago, StevenL757 said:

Why wouldn't you put the ESI-500 in as a backup instead of a G5?

I love my ESI 500, but if I had it to do today, I'd do the G5 because the G5 is necessary for the GFC 500 being certified for the Mooney approximately by years' end.  That's my next upgrade.

[donkaye]

4 hours ago, Steve Skinner said:

Hi all and Don Kaye.

Ive discussed my options on Facebook Mooney site but should move the discussion here.

i have the standard Bravo set up with Efis 40 Kap 150 autopilot, GTN 750

garmin absb in/out remote EDM 700 wx1000 stormscope 

original audio panel and com 2

efis 40 went carput 

ive been offered a set up of 2 evolution 1000 (1 backup) and evolution 500 which would allow me to get rid of steam 6 pack and vac back up (which just cost me $1000 to repair) 

all this for somewhere around $20k usd installed($10000 discount offered due to purchased instruments not wanted)

looks very cluttered and I think you’d be very busy flying with it ???

Im awaiting the quote for the G500 xti large screen and a G5 backup. Using Eis in spilt screen mode on G500 rather than a separate screen (can’t justify the cost I don’t think.)

So I can still get rid of all the steam gauges and engine monitor. Get a new remote stormscope Wx500

ive has some valuable input from the guys on the Facebook site but don’t feel comfortable talking about price etc on that forum.

Ill update the group when I get the Garmin price and hopefully get some feed back in the mean time about the Aspens.

 

 

If you can afford the G500 TXi (well even if you can't afford it) you will be much, much happier with the G500 TXi than the Aspen.  The Aspen works well, and I've flown a bunch of them with students, but I always love going back to my airplane.  If you want the best integrated panel out there, including engine monitor, then Garmin is the only way to go.

[StevenL757]

6 minutes ago, donkaye said:

I love my ESI 500, but if I had it to do today, I'd do the G5 because the G5 is necessary for the GFC 500 being certified for the Mooney approximately by years' end.  That's my next upgrade.

Ah - right.

You're not holding out for the GFC-600?  I find it amazing that Garmin can put the 182 and the Bonanza on the STC list for the 600, but only choose to certify the 500 for our higher-performance aircraft.

I'll be putting in regular calls to Garmin.  I want the 600 in the worst way.

[donkaye]

2 minutes ago, StevenL757 said:

Ah - right.

You're not holding out for the GFC-600?  I find it amazing that Garmin can put the 182 and the Bonanza on the STC list for the 600, but only choose to certify the 500 for our higher-performance aircraft.

I'll be putting in regular calls to Garmin.  I want the 600 in the worst way.

I'd much prefer the GFC 600 because it is an integrated unit and doesn't require the G5 and some other stuff, but Garmin seems to have no intention to certify it for the Mooney.  I've asked multiple times and the answer is always, NO.